Tzu Chi Fosters: Supporting the Next Generation

Economic limitations sometimes make children forced to bury their dreams just to be able to immediately help both parents work to meet the necessities of life. Though education can change their future for the better. In addition, many of them have good achievements in education. Seeing this fact, Tzu Chi people do not want to see them drop out of school, Tzu Chi people want them to continue to have dreams, for this reason, until now, educational assistance has always been given to children who are less able and have good achievements and high enthusiasm to continue their education. Tzu Chi's tuition assistance (foster children) was first started in Tangerang and has continued to expand to several other areas until now.

Among them, in January 2009, foster children enthusiastically participated in a Mandarin sentence building game given by Tzu Chi Tangerang volunteers. Every month, Tzu Chi volunteers in various regions regularly hold gatherings with foster children. At the event, they were invited to learn from each other, get to know each other, and share with other foster children and Tzu Chi volunteers through various activities, from making a bamboo piggy bank to doing environmental conservation at the Tzu Chi Environmental Preservation Depot.

The Pavement of Love Through The Distribution of Rice Grains

In May 1998, economic and political instability caused suffering and chaos in Indonesia, especially Jakarta. When a Tzu Chi Indonesia volunteer conveyed this incident to Master Cheng Yen in Taiwan, he said, "The rope of hatred can only be broken with love." So Tzu Chi volunteers began to sow the seeds of love by paying attention to the security officers on duty in Jakarta, and then distributing basic food items to reassure the community.

On January 30, 1999, Tzu Chi volunteers from Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, America (a total of 78 people) participated in distributing food packages (rice, oil, sugar) to underprivileged residents, police, and soldiers in Jakarta. The total packages distributed amounted to 100,535 packages. At that time, Tzu Chi Indonesia volunteers were still limited, so a number of employees from the Sinar Mas Group took part as volunteers to help plan and distribute packages.

In May 2003, an even larger scale distribution of rice emerged because of the arrival of 50,000 tons of Loving Rice from Taiwan. From that time until August 2005, in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs and the TNI, rice of love was distributed to various regions in the Greater Jakarta area, West Java, East Java, Central Java, NTT, Sumatra and Sulawesi. After that, during the period of February 2005-November 2007, Tzu Chi again distributed 30,000 tons of rice and during April 2011-March 2012 distributed 5,000 tons of love rice to various corners of Indonesia.

In 2011, 5,000 tons of love rice were distributed to the people of Indonesia. One of them was on October 29, 2011, Tzu Chi Tangerang volunteers distributed Cinta Kasih rice in Tanjung Pasir and Lemo areas, Tangerang. One of the residents who received rice of love in Tanjung Pasir was Sainah (50). This mother of 6 children still has to work hard every day to meet the needs of her family by selling cakes, and every day she earns 12 thousand rupiah. The attention given by the volunteers made her touched, she cried because a volunteer brought rice and held her hands. She felt very happy because she had never received as much as 20 kg of rice in herife.  "This will be enough for a few days, which mean I don't need to owe rice", she said happily.

Moved by the warmth of the volunteers, residents of Lemo, Tangerang, recipients of the love rice aid contributed to helping each other. They enthusiastically contributed through the bamboo piggy bank. Seeing this spreading love, Lu Lien Chu, a Tzu Chi volunteer, felt grateful. I see hope in this village, because their hearts are ealthy, he said.

The distribution of rice of love on a large scale reached Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) in 2011. The natural beauty of Sumba seems to hide the hardships of local people's lives. The thin soil which is only a layer on top of the rocks makes it difficult for plants to grow there and in the dry season drought always strikes. This rice aid was warmly welcomed by residents who are facing potential crop failure due to prolonged heat. The distribution of rice is divided into 3 stages with a total of 285 tons, from December 17, 2011 to April 14, 2012.

From May 2011 to March 2012, Tzu Chi Indonesia has distributed 85,000 tons of rice to people in various parts of Indonesia, from the westernmost province, namely Aceh, to the easternmost province, namely Papua. These grains of rice of love are also a way of opening love for Tzu Chi to people in need. Tzu Chi's relationship with the Indonesian people in several cities, such as Bandung and Singkawang, began with the distribution of rice. Although this rice will be run out in time, but the love and gratitude contained in it will last forever.